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The story begins in 1881 in Seoul, during the Joseon Dynasty. Il-han Kim, a prominent scholar and advisor to the royal family (King Gojong), lives a relatively stable and privileged life with his wife Sunya. The family belongs to the yangban class (noble intelligentsia). However, Korea is under great pressure from the great powers at the time — China, Russia, and especially Japan.

The key turning point is the Japanese invasion and assassination of Queen Min (1895), after which Il-han leads the family into hiding and hiding. The novel follows how the family members participate in the secret resistance to the Japanese occupation (which formally began in 1910 with the annexation). Some members become active independence fighters (including exile in China, participation in the March 1st Movement of 1919), while others adapt to new circumstances (e.g. becoming successful businessmen, but with a sense of betrayal of their homeland). The family goes through divisions, sacrifices, losses, persecutions, and personal dramas.

The novel ends with the liberation of Korea in 1945, but it foreshadows new divisions - including communist influences. Pearl S. Buck does for Korea with this novel (which she herself considered one of her best Asian works) what she did for China with The Good Country - bringing the people, culture and suffering to life through intimate human destinies, not just dry historical facts.